Run into Trouble Read Free

couldn’t tell him
who his teammate was, for reasons Drake didn’t understand. Both
members of a team had to cross the finish line before both members
of each of the other teams, in order to claim the million dollar
first prize. He had reserved the right not to participate if he
didn’t like his teammate.
    Fred wouldn’t tell him who it was on the way
to the hotel. “You’ll find out when you get there.”
    Why the mystery? Well, he was at the hotel,
and he still didn’t know. He was being given a few minutes alone to
“freshen up.” He didn’t have any luggage—that had been burned in
the taxi—so freshening up consisted of washing his hands to get rid
of the hospital smell. And noticing in the bathroom mirror how ugly
he looked with two black eyes and the tape that covered his nose
and much of his face.
    He did have a new shirt and pants. Peaches
had purchased them for him while he was at the hospital, because
the clothes he had been wearing were covered with blood. Fred had
promised that underwear and more clothes, and even a toothbrush and
razor, would show up at the hotel. He had yet to see them.
    He did one other thing. He opened the bottle
of morphine tablets that the doctor had given him, swallowed one,
and flushed the rest down the toilet. He knew from his training
that morphine was one of the most addictive drugs in existence, and
he wasn’t having any part of it, even if it cost him a lot of pain.
He wouldn’t be controlled by anything or anybody.
    There was a knock on the door. Drake opened
it and saw a pleasant-looking man wearing a colorful sport shirt,
glasses, and a concerned expression on his face. Youngish, but with
a touch of gray in his otherwise dark hair that was neatly in place
and cut with precision.
    He extended his hand. “Casey Messinger. I’m
very sorry to hear about your accident. Terrible thing. I’m looking
into it.”
    “Nice to meet you.” Drake was surprised at
the strength of his grip. His name sounded familiar. “Are you by
any chance the CEO of Giganticorp, Mr. Messinger?”
    “Call me Casey. And yes, Oliver, I am.”
    “Call me Drake.”
    They both laughed. Drake immediately liked
him. Not just his manner, but he was the first Giganticorp employee
Drake had met who might actually be a runner.
    “I understand you postponed the start of the
race just for me.”
    “Yes, but it’s not a problem. We’ll start
tomorrow morning at Border Field State Park and still be here in
time to cross the Coronado Bridge in conjunction with its grand
opening tomorrow afternoon.”
    “I take it there’ll be publicity.”
    “Lots of press and brouhaha. Yup.”
    Drake had to phrase this carefully. “I have
a concern. The accident…may not have been an accident.”
    “I get your drift. You’re under my
protection. As long as you’re part of Running California, you have
nothing to fear.”
    Big words. Confident words, but, somehow,
Drake almost believed them.
    “I’m not really going to be in shape to run
tomorrow.”
    “That’s all right. The first day is
ceremonial. Everybody will run together in a group and be given the
same time. It doesn’t matter how fast you go.”
    Drake hadn’t gathered that from the
information about the race. He guessed that the Golden Rule came
into play here—he who owns the gold makes the rules.
    “May I ask you one more question?”
    “Anything.”
    “Why are you doing this? Not just the race,
itself, but the million dollar prize. I’m sure you could have
offered much less—”
    “We think big at Giganticorp. This will be
great publicity for the company and for the state of California.
And for the runners. I know that in the past you’ve avoided the
spotlight, but you might get to like it.”
    Drake wondered. “I almost forgot. Who’s my
partner?”
    “Wait here.”
    Casey gave Drake an enigmatic smile and left
the room.
    ***
    “You look terrible.”
    Drake stumbled backward from the doorway.
His headache suddenly doubled in